Setting Up Stalls – Chapter 133

No Match

But what the proprietress of Yuanfu Lou¹ hadn’t expected was that she had still underestimated Sun Miao². She knew Sun Miao set up her stall at 11:00, so she brought Jiang Ping³ over right on time. But when she arrived, a good number of people were already standing at the entrance of her own restaurant. The little stall hadn’t arrived yet, and the customers hadn’t gone inside, just waiting at Yuanfu Lou’s entrance under the sun.

When Boss Yuanfu Lou and Jiang Ping went over, some of the customers even greeted the proprietress and Jiang Ping.

“What’s going on, everyone? Why aren’t you going in? Our restaurant is already open, and it’s the perfect time for lunch.” Boss Yuanfu Lou spoke to the customers warmly, but their faces all held a hint of awkwardness. The feeling was like passing by a restaurant you often eat at, only to go eat at the place next door, and then getting caught by the owner of the first restaurant.

The customers laughed it off: “In a bit, we’ll go in in a bit.”

The proprietress was a sharp one and quickly realized: they were waiting for that Little Boss Sun. She was genuinely curious now and couldn’t help but ask a customer, “Is the Lion’s Head Meatballs with Crab Roe from that little stall really that good?” Jiang Ping had told her it was delicious, but the proprietress always felt that Jiang Ping was just being modest.

Jiang Ping was a good person, and that little girl must have some skill. It wasn’t impossible that Jiang Ping, who appreciated talent, was deliberately saying a few nice things to praise that Little Boss Sun.

But now, with so many people saying it was delicious, Boss Yuanfu Lou was truly a little surprised. A small stall… no matter how talented that little girl was, it was impossible for her to compare to a head chef in his fifties, right? The profession of a chef was heavily reliant on years of experience. Without the refinement that comes with time, one simply couldn’t master the art of cooking.

Skill is born of practice⁴—these four words were not just for show.

But now, everyone was telling her: that little girl really could make it that delicious, even more delicious than the head chef at her Yuanfu Lou.

Boss Yuanfu Lou was still a bit unwilling to accept it. The master she had picked out after a thousand careful selections—could he really not compare to a street stall owner? That was why she had asked that question, “Is it really that good?”

That one sentence plunged the originally lively entrance of Yuanfu Lou into a sudden silence. The customers were a bit awkward, not having expected Boss Yuanfu Lou to ask such a question.

But this world has never been short of bold people. A voice piped up: “It’s very delicious. It’s the best Lion’s Head Meatballs with Crab Roe I’ve ever had.” After someone spoke up, everyone began to chime in, their comments almost identical to what was said at Sun Miao’s stall the day before, only now there were more people saying it.

Good wine fears no dark alley⁵—delicious food always spreads by word of mouth, letting more and more people know about it. After trying it themselves, they wanted to introduce it to their family, relatives, and friends. And so, customers brought more customers, leading more people to come and line up to eat. Boss Yuanfu Lou glanced over. In the time it took to exchange greetings, another wave of people had trickled in. She could see there were already over 20 people, meaning someone would definitely be unable to buy any.

Everyone else noticed this as well. Just a moment ago, they were chatting animatedly, but now their gazes toward one another carried a hint of restraint and wariness, afraid that the person next to them would buy their portion.

At 10:55, Sun Miao appeared right on schedule, driving her electric tricycle. She was like a travelling merchant from a game, appearing before the players with a small backpack, her voice laced with temptation as she asked, “I have some good things here, wanna come kangkang⁶?”

With her appearance, the customers grew even more restless. The moment the first person shifted their feet and started walking toward her, everyone began to move. Everyone was very civilized and quickly formed a line in front of Sun Miao’s stall according to the first-come, first-served order.

Boss Yuanfu Lou pulled Jiang Ping along and also went to join the line. She curiously counted and found that she was number 16. She would get a portion. This realization made Boss Yuanfu Lou breathe a sigh of relief. But soon, she froze: How long has it been since I’ve felt fortunate just to be able to line up and buy a serving of street food?

She couldn’t help but find it a little funny, but she remained in the line all the same.

The people further back weren’t so lucky. The person at number 21 quickly grew disheartened. After a moment, he pulled himself together and tried to negotiate with the person in front of him: “Miss, can I buy your spot? I’m willing to pay 2,000 yuan.”

Actually, this kind of maneuver was nothing new for these wealthy people. With the influencer economy being so developed now, many shops had been made popular by internet celebrities, requiring queues of several hours. For these rich people for whom time is money, rather than spending that time in line, it was faster to just find a yellow ox⁷ and buy a spot.

Some shops even directly offered VIP skip-the-line services. It’s just that to become their VIP, a pretty penny was naturally required.

They were used to paying for scalped tickets; it was the first time they’d seen someone approach them directly, offering to buy their spot in line.

But then again, everyone lining up here was rich, so who would care about a mere 2,000 yuan? The woman he asked rolled her eyes at him. “Absolutely not. You go ask someone else—I want this for myself⁸.” If Sun Miao had seen her, she would have recognized her as one of the “little sisters” who came with Zhou Ling’s⁹ mother the day before yesterday.

However dismissive she had been of Sun Miao’s Lion’s Head Meatballs with Crab Roe back then, that’s how unattainable it felt to her now.

The Lion’s Head Meatballs with Crab Roe… it really is delicious.

The people at the front of the line were also asked by customers who knew it was hopeless if they would give up their spots. It’s a small world, so it was inevitable that they would run into acquaintances. One person in line even discovered the person trying to get a spot was his business partner. He agonized for a long time. Between eating something delicious and giving his spot to his business partner, he ultimately chose the latter.

His partner’s eyes widened: “Wait, you were just having dinner with me at the Pearl Hotel a few days ago, you remember? Can you still recall what you said? That eating is just about satisfying the craving of one’s mouth and stomach, and what’s important is who you eat with. Can’t you just give your spot to me now?”

The man in line stiffened his neck. “That’s a separate matter. Things are different now.”

In the end, not a single person at the front gave up their spot. They all stood firm like pines, and even as those beside them talked until flowers rained from the heavens¹⁰, they remained loftily unmoved.

While all this was happening, Sun Miao was setting up her stall. Only after she had the stall propped up and the sign put in place did she start her business. Selling them portion by portion, she sold out very quickly. Sun Miao mused to herself that there were so many rich people, and that they were truly rich. They didn’t even bat an eye at the 588 yuan Lion’s Head Meatballs with Crab Roe. She even saw one person who had come to eat for three consecutive days—that was three consecutive days of not batting an eye!

After manning the stall for about ten minutes, Sun Miao’s work for the day was declared over. As usual, she sent a message in the group chat. Then she began to pack up her stall, ready to go home.

It would be great if every day could be this easy. Even Sun Miao couldn’t help but have such a thought. After all… who doesn’t want to just let it all rot?¹¹

The customers who didn’t get to buy any were grumbling endlessly. Many raised their voices, asking Sun Miao to prepare more tomorrow. Only 20 portions—that was barely enough for two large private dining rooms. How was that enough to go around? But Sun Miao was completely unconcerned: “Just 20 portions. Sold out when they’re gone. Everyone, please come early tomorrow~”

After saying her piece, Sun Miao drove off coolly in her little electric tricycle food cart.

She left behind a crowd of those who had bought one and those who hadn’t, clutching their Lion’s Head Meatballs with Crab Roes as they remained on the spot. Those who got one shrugged and went into Yuanfu Lou with the family and friends they’d come with. Those who didn’t, grumbled a bit, and with the thought, “Well, we’re here anyway¹²,” also went into Yuanfu Lou.

At this moment, Boss Yuanfu Lou’s feelings were a bit complicated. It was obvious that because of this unknown little stall, Yuanfu Lou had inexplicably gained an extra surge of midday customer traffic. She should have been happy, but in reality, she wasn’t that happy.

After all, these customers had only come because of the little stall.

Boss Yuanfu Lou and Jiang Ping each carried a Lion’s Head Meatballs with Crab Roe into Yuanfu Lou, heading straight for the proprietress’s office. As the owner of the restaurant, she had a small private room next to her office, fully equipped with a dining table and tableware, which she used to entertain friends and guests.

As the two of them sat there, Boss Yuanfu Lou had a staff member bring up the special tureen used for Lion’s Head Meatballs with Crab Roe. Once the tableware arrived, she opened the lid of the disposable container. The moment the aroma rushed to her face, the proprietress was certain: that Little Boss Sun was by no means a simple character.

She had been in the business for over twenty years, and on top of that, was an old glutton¹³ herself with a deep understanding of fine food. Based on this aroma alone, she felt that her restaurant’s Head Chef Qian¹⁴ was already inferior.

She slowly poured the Lion’s Head Meatballs with Crab Roe from the disposable box into the tureen. At this very moment, Sun Miao’s Lion’s Head Meatballs with Crab Roe unlocked its ultimate form. Color, aroma, and taste¹⁵—after being transferred to the tureen, two of the three were now perfect. All that was left was the last one: taste.

Boss Yuanfu Lou picked up her spoon and began to taste it with focused concentration.

Jiang Ping, at her side, was not in a hurry. Instead, she sat and carefully observed Boss Yuanfu Lou’s expression and movements. When she first took a bite, Boss Yuanfu Lou’s expression froze. Then, her brow furrowed slightly. As she chewed, her brow slowly smoothed out, as if even the crow’s feet at the corners of her eyes were being ironed flat. A thread of joy emanated from her, from the inside out.

When a person eats something truly delicious, the aura around them really does change.

That primal, blazing happiness brought by the tongue and taste buds is something no other sense can compare to.

Delicious is delicious. It’s impossible to lie about that.

Following that, Boss Yuanfu Lou’s hand speed increased significantly as she ate the Lion’s Head Meatballs with Crab Roe from the tureen, spoonful by spoonful. By the time she finally stopped, the tureen was spotless, without even a single sip of soup left.

Only then did Jiang Ping slowly speak up, asking Boss Yuanfu Lou, “Well?”

She was actually asking what she already knew. Because she knew that in the face of such a delicacy, Boss Yuanfu Lou could have no other answer: “Delicious.”

“I truly haven’t eaten a delicacy like this in a long time. And when it comes to Lion’s Head Meatballs with Crab Roe, I’ve never had any better than this. I’ll say something that might not be pleasant to hear, but even what your master makes might not be this good.”

But Jiang Ping wasn’t the least bit angry. Instead, she nodded. “Mm, I think so too.”

After a moment, Boss Yuanfu Lou suddenly sighed. Under Jiang Ping’s puzzled gaze, she said, “Head Chef Qian is bound to lose this bet. To think that my Yuanfu Lou, which I’ve painstakingly managed for so long, actually can’t compare to a roadside stall.”

---

---